The Kentucky Department of Education on Tuesday released its school report cards for districts in the state based on each school's academic performance.
A new color-coded scale indicates each district's performance levels for elementary, middle and high schools. The scale ranges from red (the lowest) to blue (the highest) with orange, yellow and green ratings between the two.
On average, Kentucky schools scored yellow (medium) on every level, while ratings for school districts in Northern Kentucky varied.
Beechwood Independent School District and Fort Thomas Independent Schools secured the highest ratings in the area, receiving "blue" designations in all three levels of education.
Other Northern Kentucky school districts, including Bellevue Independent Schools, Covington Independent Schools and Newport Independent Schools each received at least one "red" rating. Covington middle and high schools were both given the lowest rating, making them one of five districts in the state with an overall "red" rating for its middle schools and one of three graded "red" for its high schools.
The Kentucky Department of Education says these ratings are based on the 2021-2022 school year and are released with the intent of having a transparent way for families, educators, lawmakers, and education stakeholders to understand how their local schools are performing.
The report offers the first full look at Kentucky schools' performance since the coronavirus pandemic began.